Be a part of the policy-making process that shapes the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families… Join The Family Café Change Agent Network!

Change Agent Network

The May CAN Newsletter: Children's Mental Health, and a Legislative Recap

This edition of the CAN Newsletter provides on overview of the 2019 annual state legislative session, with news about what passed, what failed, and how important the voice of advocates is in making the difference. It also includes recognition of Mental Health Month, and Children's Mental Health Week, both of which put a spotlight on the need to talk openly about mental health in the month of May. Finally, you will also find information about The 12th Annual Youth Summit, where our Florida Youth Council spreads the advocacy message among their peers with disabilities.

The February CAN Newsletter: Get Ready for Session!

This issue is all about getting advocates ready for the upcoming state legislative session, which officially opens on March 5th. Check it out to find out about committee weeks, bill filing deadlines, and other important dates to know as legislators begin their work in Tallahassee. It also includes information on the legislators in key positions on committees that will impact people with disabilities and The Family Cafe.

This is the time of year for advocates to start paying attention to the decisions being made at the state government level. So why not get ahead of the game by taking a look at the February CAN Newsletter?

The December CAN Newsletter: An Election Wrap-Up

The December issue of the CAN Newsletter is here. This month, we take a look at the results of November's election. As we discussed in the October CAN Newsletter, this election was an important one for Florida, bringing about significant changes in our state government. The December edition breaks down those results, and lets you know about the new faces in Tallahassee, including a new Governor, new leadership in the Florida House and Senate, and a new Cabinet. We also put the Florida results in a national context, with a look at how our state's outcomes compare with nationwide trends. Finally, there's a breakdown of Florida's many ballot initiatives.

Get Ready to Vote with the October CAN Newsletter

The latest edition of the CAN Newsletter is here, and with the 2018 general election just around the corner, we've placed a focus on the November ballot in this issue. This month's CAN Newsletter includes a review of the offices that will be decided in the upcoming election, which is likely to change the our state's government in significant ways. There are also a number of important ballot initiatives that Florida voters will have a chance to weigh in on when they vote. To help you better understand those ballot initiatives and what they propose, we've included helpful descriptions of each of those initiatives as well.

We also received a statement on disability issues from the Andrew Gillum for Governor campaign shortly after this CAN Newsletter was published. You can read it here. As soon as we receive a statement from the Ron DeSantis for Governor campaign, we will post it here as well.

As participants in our democracy, we have no more important duty to perform than voting. We urge you to get informed about the candidates and initiatives on the ballot, and make your voice heard this November!

Don't forget! The voter registration deadline in Florida is TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9TH. To get registered or check on the status of your voter registration, visit the Secretary of State or the Supervisor of Elections in your county.

Welcome to The Family Café’s Change Agent Network!

Too often, people with disabilities are left out of the policy-making process that shapes the lives of many families in our state. It can be intimidating for one person to speak out, take action, and feel like they have a genuine impact on how individuals with disabilities are treated in our society.

To give individuals a way to engage in that conversation,The Family Café created The Change Agent Network (CAN) in 2009. This site is the online place for members of CAN to come together, learn about the issues facing Floridians with disabilities and take positive collective action to address those concerns. There are over 3.5 million individuals with disabilities in Florida, and they deserve to have a seat at the table in the policy-making discussions that eventually affect their daily lives. By uniting our many voices as one through The Family Café’s CAN, we can make that happen!

CAN is a membership-based program, and we invite you to join today! For only $25 a year, you will have full access to the CAN site, including its exclusive advocacy resource database. Members receive a free t-shirt, and will have multiple opportunities to participate in special advocacy projects.

If you would like to make a difference for individuals with disabilities and their families in Florida, join CAN today, and let your voice be heard!